University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jabri Abdur-Rahim
December 07, 2023 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jabri Abdur-Rahim believes in the wisdom of NBA Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash, who once said the shooting is like breathing — you've got to do both all the time. After an offseason in which he put up hundreds of shots a day, Abdur-Rahim is seeing the results.
On the court this season, the senior starter was the Bulldogs' leading scorer through five games, averaging a career-best 14.0 points, as well as 3.8 rebounds. That's a big leap from the 7.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off the bench he averaged last season.
A 6-foot-8 guard from South Orange, N.J., Abdur-Rahim received a big honor when was selected to be the male student-athlete on the UGA Athletic Association Athletic Board for the 2023-24 academic year. He's also represented Georgia basketball on the SEC Leadership Council in previous years, so his voice clearly carries weight on and off the court.
During a recent Quick Chat, Abdur-Rahim talked about his strong start to the season, putting up shots every day, his favorite Thanksgiving dish, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Congratulations on a nice start to your season. Do you feel like a different player this season?
Abdur-Rahim: I think I'm just a lot more confident, and I know I've worked really hard. I'm getting a little more opportunity to play, and I feel like I'm just prepared for it.
Frierson: Is there one thing you worked on the most in the offseason?
Abdur-Rahim: Shooting. I shot a lot. I do that a lot. I feel like that's the best thing I do (shooting), but you can always get better. And I shot a lot.
Frierson: What does "shot a lot" mean? Is that 200 shots a day? Maybe 500?
Abdur-Rahim: I would say anywhere from 100 to 400 shots a day. There was a quote that Steve Nash said: Shooting is like breathing, you've got to do it every day. That's something I try to live by as much as I can.
Frierson: If you're putting up a couple hundred shots a day, what do you do to keep that fresh and interesting?
Abdur-Rahim: Sometimes I've got to get a certain amount of swishes. Sometimes I've got to make a certain amount in a row or I've got to start over. I'll do things to add pressure; that's the whole point, to try to simulate a game-like situation.
Frierson: Is there a better noise in basketball than the sound of a ball swishing through the net?
Abdur-Rahim: Nah, that's the best one.
Frierson: It might be the best one in sports, although the sound of a home run is tough to beat.
Abdur-Rahim: The pop of a home-run ball is crazy, but I do really like the sound of a swish.
Frierson: Were you always the tall kid in your classes? Obviously your dad (the 6-9 longtime NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim, now president of the NBA's G League) is quite tall, so you knew it was coming, but when did you shoot up?
Abdur-Rahim: I was always tall. My mom (Delicia) is tall, too, and I was always the tallest kid in my classes. It was always just a part of who I was.
Frierson: As someone way taller than average, what do you make of Victor Wembanyama (the 7-4 San Antonio Spurs rookie) and what he can do on the court?
Abdur-Rahim: As just a basketball fan, it's cool to watch somebody that size who's able to move that way and do the things he does. As someone that likes watching basketball, it's cool to see that.
Frierson: We've got Thanksgiving coming up as we do this, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Abdur-Rahim: The cranberry sauce. That's weird, right?
Frierson: No, not really. I get that answer sometimes.
Abdur-Rahim: Every time I tell somebody that, they get weirded out. But that's what I like. I'm like a side guy. I like the cranberry sauce and the mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. I could eat sides all day.
Frierson: I interview a lot of Bulldogs, and I always ask that question this time of year. And nobody ever says the turkey is their favorite part of the meal.
Abdur-Rahim: I don't like turkey. My mom can really cook, so she would always make a lot of food and it was always really good. I haven't had her Thanksgiving cooking in a while, but growing up, it was also a staple and something that I looked forward to each year.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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Staff Writer
Jabri Abdur-Rahim believes in the wisdom of NBA Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash, who once said the shooting is like breathing — you've got to do both all the time. After an offseason in which he put up hundreds of shots a day, Abdur-Rahim is seeing the results.
On the court this season, the senior starter was the Bulldogs' leading scorer through five games, averaging a career-best 14.0 points, as well as 3.8 rebounds. That's a big leap from the 7.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off the bench he averaged last season.
A 6-foot-8 guard from South Orange, N.J., Abdur-Rahim received a big honor when was selected to be the male student-athlete on the UGA Athletic Association Athletic Board for the 2023-24 academic year. He's also represented Georgia basketball on the SEC Leadership Council in previous years, so his voice clearly carries weight on and off the court.
During a recent Quick Chat, Abdur-Rahim talked about his strong start to the season, putting up shots every day, his favorite Thanksgiving dish, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Congratulations on a nice start to your season. Do you feel like a different player this season?
Abdur-Rahim: I think I'm just a lot more confident, and I know I've worked really hard. I'm getting a little more opportunity to play, and I feel like I'm just prepared for it.
Frierson: Is there one thing you worked on the most in the offseason?
Abdur-Rahim: Shooting. I shot a lot. I do that a lot. I feel like that's the best thing I do (shooting), but you can always get better. And I shot a lot.
Frierson: What does "shot a lot" mean? Is that 200 shots a day? Maybe 500?
Abdur-Rahim: I would say anywhere from 100 to 400 shots a day. There was a quote that Steve Nash said: Shooting is like breathing, you've got to do it every day. That's something I try to live by as much as I can.
Frierson: If you're putting up a couple hundred shots a day, what do you do to keep that fresh and interesting?
Abdur-Rahim: Sometimes I've got to get a certain amount of swishes. Sometimes I've got to make a certain amount in a row or I've got to start over. I'll do things to add pressure; that's the whole point, to try to simulate a game-like situation.
Frierson: Is there a better noise in basketball than the sound of a ball swishing through the net?
Abdur-Rahim: Nah, that's the best one.
Frierson: It might be the best one in sports, although the sound of a home run is tough to beat.
Abdur-Rahim: The pop of a home-run ball is crazy, but I do really like the sound of a swish.
Frierson: Were you always the tall kid in your classes? Obviously your dad (the 6-9 longtime NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim, now president of the NBA's G League) is quite tall, so you knew it was coming, but when did you shoot up?
Abdur-Rahim: I was always tall. My mom (Delicia) is tall, too, and I was always the tallest kid in my classes. It was always just a part of who I was.
Frierson: As someone way taller than average, what do you make of Victor Wembanyama (the 7-4 San Antonio Spurs rookie) and what he can do on the court?
Abdur-Rahim: As just a basketball fan, it's cool to watch somebody that size who's able to move that way and do the things he does. As someone that likes watching basketball, it's cool to see that.
Frierson: We've got Thanksgiving coming up as we do this, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Abdur-Rahim: The cranberry sauce. That's weird, right?
Frierson: No, not really. I get that answer sometimes.
Abdur-Rahim: Every time I tell somebody that, they get weirded out. But that's what I like. I'm like a side guy. I like the cranberry sauce and the mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. I could eat sides all day.
Frierson: I interview a lot of Bulldogs, and I always ask that question this time of year. And nobody ever says the turkey is their favorite part of the meal.
Abdur-Rahim: I don't like turkey. My mom can really cook, so she would always make a lot of food and it was always really good. I haven't had her Thanksgiving cooking in a while, but growing up, it was also a staple and something that I looked forward to each year.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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